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State and Federal: Regulation and Policy

Registration is now open for the August 1, Becoming a Voice for Infection Prevention: New Jersey Infection Prevention Legislative & Regulatory Workshop! This workshop will be held at New Jersey Hospital Association in Princeton. Registration fee is $40 and includes lunch and CNE/CME credits.

OVERVIEW: This workshop will focus on educating and engaging infection preventionists in state and federal legislative and regulatory issues. The workshop will feature subject matter experts from both the national Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and the New Jersey Department of Health. The day will provide an opportunity for subject matter experts and infection preventionists to learn from each other and work together to create a greater understanding of local and national infection prevention issues.

OBJECTIVES: (1) Describe the role of an infection preventionist in engaging stakeholders in infection prevention legislative and regulatory issues (2) Discuss the state and federal legislative process (3) Describe the current status of both federal and state infection prevention related law and regulations.

I wanted to share a piece of news that applies to our members that work in the acute care hospital settings. As you may recall, APIC NNJ did submit a comment letter opposing the placement of this rule in the Infection Control subchapter of the hospital licensing standards.

On December 21 the New Jersey Health Care Administration Board approved N.J.A.C. 8:43G-14.9, “Sepsis protocols”. The notice of proposal was published in the New Jersey Register on June 19, 2017 at 49 N.J.R. 1653(a) and the public comment period ended on August 18, 2017. The Department received numerous comments from Hospitals and Health Care Systems, professional associations and individuals. The comments expressed support for the rules and no changes upon adoption were made in response to the comments.

Major components of the rule include

A hospital shall establish, implement, and periodically update, evidence-based protocols for the early identification and treatment of patients with sepsis and septic shock;

Protocols shall address:

The screening of patients with healthcare acquired and community-acquired sepsis and septic shock;

Treatment guidelines;

Components that are population-specific as clinically indicated in accordance with evidence-based best practices

Training of clinical staff in the sepsis protocols, with all existing staff being trained by July 16, 2018.